The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1887-06-20

Cattle Feedt
From private lett written by r ID.
Parkinson, Manager Of the Nevada Lane
Cat lie Co, of belly Creek, 10 this
county, the Cheyenne 1--we Stock Journal
prints the following:
RAISING ALFALFA.
Our company has for some years been
engaged in the raising of alfalfa, having
made large water storage by building
a dam upon one Of the streams on our
range for irrigation. This is for the pur-
pose of holding our steers for Winter
market and to relieve the market, in 9
measure, from the over-supply that
always takes place in the Fall, as well as
to save poor breeders which have young
calves pulling upon them. Many of our
cattlemen are following our example, and
when this system is adopted we hope to
do away with the middle business Of
feeders" which with US is Big Four"
on a small scale.
To my mind this Winter feeding bus.
iHess is one of the most important to the
stOckra!ser, and should be engaged in
wherever opportunities are found. With
as our streams are too insignificant to
allow irrigation to only limited extent,
and artificial storage has to be made.
Our reservoir, which is the only one as
yet in the State, cost Us about $50, 600,
holds about 500 acres of water, with an
average depth OF % feet. which we con-
slider equal to an irrigating capacity OF
10000 acres OF alfalfa of two years
growth.
To one who is not acquainted with this
remarkable plant he would think the re-
ports exaggerated as to its feeding value.
That it will put poor animal into re.
uarkable condition is no question. OF
course It's feeding value under chemical
analysis, does not compare with corn,
but as it will bring the same results as
the latter, though in a greater space of
tine, at a much less expense, cannot
butbelieve its general adoption by the
ranc,man as fattening feed will take
place and corn be superseded. Many
who ara unacquainted with alfalfa as a
feed CLAN the cattle fed upon it produce
inferior beef to those fed upon corn.
This believe to be a false statement, as
in my late travels in the Eastern States
and in Europe ! could not see any super
iority Of favor in the beef of those coun.
tries to the beef of Nevada and Califor.
pis. ~her. o.".s f1,ssi..s 10 unsuo-p
NeverLaving any experience in corn
feeding Of beeves the relative expense of
iattening with alfalfa compared with corn
] cannot give, but / should Judge the
margin was great.
1t isofssn asked.
WHAT CAN Az ACRE OF ALFALFA DO
Ia the way OF feeding? or what can q
rspehaao afford to pay for, say 1000
acres, q alfalfa that is yielding four tons
per acr per season. This is a broad
question, and much depends upon local
surroundings, as, for instance, proximity
TO rasp aud market. Take a general
view oishe case and it stands thus Il am
speaking Of myself and others who have
been long engaged in it. Without work
ing out,he detail of the problem / will
merely give the figures as they stand
with ~, which will answer as a basis for
others.o figure onl; The problem, then.
is this WHAT is the value then of an
acre q alfalfa Ii will produce four
tons o: hay per season and furnish good
pasturage with us) for six weeks.
Aliowng 30 pounds of hay per head per
day, il will feed four steers 60 days.
With ~ the modern improvements it
will cox TO 60; aud stack four tons OF
alfalfa s. Eve men will feed 900 head
Of cattle per day using derrick forks to
load soi pitching into convenient man
gers, at cos, of $40. or per head per
day, cent. Hence. the feeding of the
produc OF acre IA tons) will have cost
ior feeding steers 90 days at cent,
= 40: nay consumed IS; total, $40 40.
THR REsULT
)f this feeding ii that it has enhanced in